Paying Respects
by Denise Allen
Summary: A short one about Molly's role in killing Bellatrix and the general affect of her death.
1. Molly

Paying Respects

Molly had gone to many funerals this week. She would bury her own son tomorrow, but today she one thing she had to do. She was a Weasley and she was a Prewett. Her family and the Black family had history in common. It wasn't always a good history, but it was her history. They were pure bloods of the longest lines. Molly had killed one of theirs. Granted she had killed the foulest thing that had ever lived with the exception of Voldemort. Still she had killed.

She knew Andromeda felt no loss over her sister. She had said as much when Molly tried to apologize. Andromeda considered it a balancing of the scales. Bella had killed her daughter and things were as they should be. An eye for an eye suited her just fine. Maybe that was the Black family way.

It was not Molly's. She had killed. . She did not revel in the killing as so many seemed to do. She did not regret it, and to save her daughter she would do it again without a seconds hesitation Still she had killed. There was a responsibility when one killed, and this was one duty she intended to fulfill.

Arthur watched as she changed into her formal robes. He knew he should argue with her. He also knew he would lose. With a sigh he flicked his wand and changed into his formal attire.

Molly came into the kitchen to find Ginny and Harry in their formal robes waiting for her.

"Just what do you two think you're doing?" She half hollered at them.

Harry was prepared to argue. He owed Narcissa Malfoy, and had planned on going with or without anyone's approval. Secretly he was glad the Weasley's would be there. It was good to have moral support , even if they were unaware of it themselves. He didn't look forward to walking in the lion's den. Narcissa had saved his life. He owed her for that. Bellatrix no matter how foul was her sister. He knew well enough one did not pick one's family.

Before he could argue or beg, Ginny interrupted. Very quietly she stated. "We're coming. You killed her because of me. We're coming." It was a statement, and there was no changing her mind.

Molly looked at the little girl, actually now the young woman looking so evenly at her. It seemed her daughter had grown up overnight. Their eyes locked and Molly understood Ginny carried her own portion of the responsibility of this too. She nodded and motioned her daughter outside. Harry and Arthur followed quietly behind.

Outside all the Weasley men stood in formal attire waiting. Molly looked like she was going to explode. Bill diffused the situation. "We'll all behave, but we are not letting you do this alone."

"Not letting me..." Molly said her voice rising.

"We go as a family." Arthur stated evenly looking at Molly. "We all go and we will all act accordingly. Is that understood?" Arthur said looking at the boys.

Molly nodded. Rarely did her husband raise his voice. They would all go.

With a pop they all appeared outside the Black family plot. The Weasley's and company watched as several people came their way wands drawn.

Lucius Malfoy at the lead pointed his wand directly a Harry. "Come to see the ruins,boy?" Lucius snarled waving his wand dangerously at his enemy.

Harry instinctively reached for his wand when from behind them another pop sounded and everyone turned at the ready.

"Put that away you arse, this is a funeral. Hasn't Cissy taught you how to behave in public yet? " Andromeda scolded Lucius like he was a child.

She looked over at Molly. "You're right. She's my sister.." Andromeda started walking through the gates to where they would bury her sister.

"How dare you..."

Lucius never finished his sentence because Narcissa Malfoy appeared behind him. She looked from Molly and then to her sister.

"Why are you here?" She asked Andromeda. There was no trace of anything in her voice. Not the anger or the grief Andromeda had expected.

"She's my sister too, Cissy." Andromeda stated waiting for her sister's reaction.

There was none. Narcissa looked over at Molly and Harry,"Are you here to gloat?" Her voice was tinged with bitterness.

Harry didn't know what to say. He was here from obligation because he owed her. Now that he was facing her at her sister's funeral it sounded so petty. Maybe it was better that he not come at all.

"No...I..." he stumbled over the words he was trying to say.

Molly spoke softly, but there was iron in her voice. "No Cissy, we're here paying respects to family and friends."

Molly waited. She had once been girlhood friends with Cissy and Andromeda. She wondered if Cissy was remembering that now, or if she even cared to remember it at all.

After what seemed forever to Molly, Narcissa looked at Andromeda,"Shall we show them the way?" And turned waiting for them to follow her. They all walked silently into the Black family plot.


	2. Narcissa

Narcissa Malfoy watched as they lowered Bellatrix into the ground. The setting perfectly fit the occasion. It was gray, dank, and dreary much like the soul of the body they lowered into the ground. She tried to remember if it had ever been any different. Had she ever loved her sister? She was her sister. One was supposed to love their sister.

There had been a price. She looked at Andromeda. Her eyes looked like she felt, empty. There would be a price yet. She had exposed her son to this poison for what reason? She could think of none as she watched her dead sister disappear into the ground.

She had understood this when she had saved Potter. She had no particular love for the boy, nor did she want to see him dead. He was Draco's age. He had done nothing just been born. He had no say in the matter. She had.

She wondered if she still had a soul to save. Had she redeemed herself? She had risked everything for her son, or had she risked everything for herself? She couldn't bear losing her son. She would have killed herself . She had no doubt. There would have been no reason to go on as expected. She and Andromeda had argued about expectations. She lost her sister to family expectations. Her sister lost her family to family expectations.

She always did what was expected. She was perfect, flawless. It was expected of her. When had perfection become so flawed? Had she cared even a little about Potter? Did she care that her sister and Molly lost their child? Did she care that Bellatrix was dead? Did she have a soul that cared about anything other than herself?

She looked at Potter. He had risked everything, given everything so she could be here now wondering. She wondered did she have anything to give?

Lucius walked over and gave his wife an approving nod. As expected, as aways she was flawless perfect. Narcissa looked at her husband. She had a choice. She had done what was expected. She motioned for Draco to follow her, and then she walked over and joined Molly and her sister leaving her husband behind her. It was unexpected.


	3. Harry

Harry watched Narcissa Malfoy as they lowered Bellatrix Le Strange into the ground. She was perfectly composed. He wondered if she cared that she was burying her sister. There were no tears, no anything. Was this the Black family way, the Black family expectation?

He knew what few knew. She had saved him. He was unsure why. He wondered if she considered his being here an insult or a complement. He suspected he would never know. Still he knew he had to be here. Maybe she would understand his implicit thank you in his presence here today. He instinctively knew he could not and would not publicly voice it. Just as he knew she would never accept it if he did.

He watched bewildered as Narcissa and Draco left Lucius standing by himself with his former group of death eater friends, to join him and the others as they lowered Bellatrix into her final resting place.

Harry knew that least half of the people next to Lucius would kill him given a chance. He looked straight at Narcissa, and understood she was not one of them now. Maybe she had never been one of them. He knew well enough that one did not pick one's family. He wondered for the first time if her family had picked them for her.

Harry felt Ginny's hand squeeze his arm. He suddenly was very grateful for the family that had picked him. She knew what no one else knew. He had told her everything. She was his family now. He had told her about Narcissa and all of it. She knew why he was here. This knowledge was hers alone.

Narcissa Malfoy turned away from the grave, and looked directly at Harry. She was perfectly composed as she nodded at him. She understood why he was here, and acknowledged his debt. He flinched when he saw the emptiness in her eyes. He wondered who her family would be now that she had made her decision. He started to approach her and halted when Draco came up beside her.

Harry watched as Draco led his mother and Andromeda away from the grave. As he walked away, he looked back at Harry. There was an understanding in his gaze. The debt Harry owed to Narcissa now bound Harry to him as well. The offer was one of understanding. They might never be friends, but because of his mother they would not be enemies

Harry looked back at Draco and nodded in return. Harry was relieved that Narcissa was not alone. Some of her family had followed her. Harry turned and walked toward the exit to the cemetery.


	4. ginny

Ginny wondered yet again, why she was here. She had no desire to be here. She watched as the lowered the piece of filth called Bellatrix into the ground. The reason her mother had killed, and the reason for the death of so many people. The reason she was here because her mother had killed.

She knew why her mother had come. Her mother had killed to protect her. No matter how justified or necessary the killing, she was suffering for it. Her mother came seeking justification and more importantly absolution for her act. Andromeda had given her praise for her actions. Her mother didn't want praise, she wanted forgiveness. She hoped Narcissa Malfoy had one kind act left in her.

She had saved Harry. That had to count for something. She didn't know the reason why, and frankly, she didn't care. She gave Harry credit for absolving Narcissa of her guilt. She was not as sure she could quite yet. Fred was dead.. It would never be the same. She blamed Bellatrix and her gang for that. Narcissa was a part of that. Didn't she hold some responsibility in Fred's death?

Ginny was trying to understand, and failing miserably. She was in no mood for forgiveness right now. The grief and anger were still too raw. This act was for Harry and her mother. She realized as the coffin dropped into the hole in the ground, that soon they would do that to her brother.

Ginny watched Narcissa Malfoy walk over and join them by the grave of her sister. With that action, Narcissa forgave her mother for her act. Narcissa had one kind act left in her after all.


	5. Andromeda

Note: I think this may be it,. I have run out of ideas for this. Though if anyone has any ideas please feel free to mention them.

Andromeda walked away from Bella's grave. She had been Bellatrix Le Strange, Voldemort's most devout slave and worshipper. Now she was a corpse left to her family. They would not even mark her grave. Fear of vandals the family and ministry had said. In reality, it was because they wanted to forget she ever existed. They would write her out of the Black family tree and history.

Andromeda remembered the scorched mark that had been Sirius' picture at Grimaldi place. The pureblood superiority of Black family, the farce and the lie that was now buried in the dirt with her sister. She almost laughed aloud at the insanity of it all.

It was almost easier to mark who Bella had not killed rather than count who she had. She tried to remember if her sister was ever worthy of love. She stopped and motioned the others forward. She turned around and went back to the grave. She stopped at the pit that the workers had started covering with dirt and motioned them away. She took her wand and muttered softly. Silently the top of Bella's coffin opened. Andromeda looked at her sister's face closely for the first time in years.

This was her sister. The one who left her family and everything that had ever mattered in ruins.

She thought of her Ted, Nymphadora and Remus, and silently shook. She hated her, she absolutely hated her.

Narcissa came over and looked down at her sister in the grave for a moment. She looked at Andromeda, who was shaking through a haze of tears. Narcissa placed a hand on her shoulder.

"The insanity is gone. It's Bella, again," Narcissa stated softly.

Andromeda looked at Bella again. This was her sister often arrogant, prejudiced, and cruel, but still her sister. The sister, she had loved as girl.

Narcissa removed her wand and motioned at the coffin. Andromeda nodded her head and Narcissa sealed the coffin. Bella had returned to them finally. They were a family again. Silently the sisters walked away from her grave.


End file.
